A mother hospitalized in Istanbul for suspected food poisoning died on Nov. 14, one day after her two children succumbed to the same illness, which authorities link to street food the family consumed in Ortaköy.
The woman, along with her husband, had traveled from Germany to Istanbul and checked into a city hotel with their 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
On Nov. 11, they visited Ortaköy, where they bought mussels from a street vendor and later ate "kokoreç" — spiced, grilled lamb offal served in bread — at a restaurant on a street known for "kumpir," large stuffed baked potatoes.
After returning to their hotel, all four family members began experiencing vomiting and nausea. The father and mother received initial medical treatment and were discharged, but the children’s condition worsened.
Late on Nov. 13, the mother found her children unresponsive in their hotel room. Emergency teams were called, but both children died in the hospital despite medical intervention.
The mother was later hospitalized as her condition worsened and subsequently died. The father remains in intensive care.
Authorities have sealed the restaurant linked to the case while municipal teams conducted inspections of local food stalls.
